For some time now, the hog industry in Manitoba has worked extremely hard to undo the damage caused by the ban on hog expansion by then premier Gary Doer. While not so noticeable when the hog industry languished in downright depressing times, where all basically tried to hang on and many didn’t. Then things began to turn around, but the Manitoba industry couldn’t expand even by one pig.

News from the Manitoba government that changes are coming to streamline, change, make easier the task of applying for a permit, first, and then going through the hoops and finally starting construction.

Ralph Eichler, Manitoba’s Agriculture Minister says announcements on the province’s plans to streamline the process for the approval of permits to construct new hog barns in Manitoba will happen soon.

In April, 2015, to facilitate the construction of new swine production capacity in the province to address a shortfall of pigs for processing, the Manitoba government introduced the Pig Production Special Pilot Project Evaluation Protocol, a program designed to allow new hog barn construction based on 11 new conditions above and beyond existing requirements, however a key stumbling block had been the complicated approval process, which requires upwards of a year to complete.

Manitoba Pork has applauded the provincial government’s Red Tape Reduction Strategy as it lobbies the province for a streamlining of the process for approving new construction permits. Eichler told reporters at a news scrum in Brandon, MB at Ag Days the province is working with Manitoba’s pork industry to address the situation.

“One thing you have to learn about any process is you’ve got to make sure you maintain the public trust so, if you’re not going to be coming with us, you’re going to be part of the problem.

“When you look at any process, let’s make sure we get it right,” he said. “Of course we’ve been working with the Manitoba producers, the municipalities, talking to the investors to ensure that we do get it right. We have done a lot to date but we have not announced not yet. But stay tuned. Very soon you’ll see some major changes happening on that front.”

Manitoba Pork would like to see the time it takes for the approval of new construction permits cut at least by half. Estimates show up to 1.2 million additional feeder pigs per year are currently needed to bring the province’s processing plants up to full capacity, which would require something in the neighbourhood of 100 new barns, depending on the size of the barns.

Brian Pallister, Manitoba’s Premier says the onerous regulatory burden placed on agriculture is obstructing the ability to create economic opportunity and jobs. As Manitoba Pork lobbies for a streamlining of the approval process for new hog barn construction, it has applauded the province’s commitment to reducing the government red tape that discourages agricultural development.

Pallister says the agriculture industry has a ton of potential in Manitoba and needs the support of all. “We know that the industry has the capacity to produce more, the processing industry has the additional unused capacity, and has had for some time.

We know that the product is marketable and wanted,” said the Premier. “We know that these opportunities have been undiscovered for a long time and not solely because of regulatory constraints but that is one aspect that we need to have a look at.”

He says Manitoba has perhaps the most onerous regulatory burden on any hog producers in the country. One could argue this has obstructed Manitoba from having a chance to create more jobs and more economic opportunity.

“One of our principal points of initial focus with our red tape exercise is the value added ag sector,” said Pallister. “We really think that there’s potential for us to grow our economy in this area. It’s an area where we have not only some strong competitive advantages but we have just tremendous producers with capabilities that are second to none.”

He says as a farm boy and the first farm boy Premier of Manitoba for about a half a century, he’s pretty excited about the potential that we can discover by looking at opportunities not just inside the city of Winnipeg.

Pallister says agriculture is a key economic driver in Manitoba and if it’s a good year in farming, it’s a good year for everybody in the province. •

— By Harry Siemens